I haven't had a working heart rate monitor in quite some time. I finally bit the bullet and bought a new one. Had it delivered to Sedona last week while we were there.
I'm quite happy with it, and will probably like it more once I remember how to use the different functions. It's a Sports Instruments. Up until now I've only had Polar. Zach's had a few Sigma that seem to crap out in a year.
Anyway, the last 2 rides I've been on this week....I didn't wear it. Is that my subconscious telling me I didn't really need it or do I just need to get in the habit of changing the bike it's on?
Totally unrelated, I think I may have the only defective Chris King hub ever made. It's under a year old. 2 bike shops have looked at it. It makes a sound similar to the King hum, but it makes it while I am pedaling.
Based on what the last shop told me, I think it's the c clamp.
And lastly, our Dirt Rag came yesterday. I did my normal flip through the whole thing to get me by until I have time to read it thing. Put it down and then realized the pictures from the Reader's Eye didn't have any impact on me. I couldn't remember one picture! What the heck! So I looked to see what page they started on...page 100. Flipped back to find that our magazine only went up to page 96. I emailed them and they are sending another copy.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
We get snow too!
The day after the Gardner Canyon race, Zach and I drove to Sedona to spend our spring break with my parents who are back out here for a short while. It was the strangest day. We took a short hike after breakfast on Big Park Loop and then decided we would call the remaining part of the day a rest day. Good thing because it ended up snowing pellets that day. We felt so cheated. Our first day back in Sedona and it snows. Check it out.
I mean, look! You can still see the snow on the ground the next morning!!
Luckily, the snow didn't harm the wildflowers that are starting to bloom. I've been trying to get some good shots, but I'm having a hard time focusing in on what I want with my point and shoot.
Good thing the rest of the week was sunny and 70s.
We had a great week of some new hikes and alot of our normal rides. We hiked around the base of Mescal Mtn and down in Carroll Canyon for the first time. We also checked out a spur off of Mystic.
Most of the week we just rode from where we stayed right over to Bell Rock and rode the trails from there. Llama, Templeton, HT, Mystic, Broken Arrow, Little Horse and back on the new trail.
We also rode up the ridge that overlooks cowpies. Very exposed and scary. I walked alot that day. We made it up to the saddle but we couldn't find the trail down the other side. So we rode back out to Schnebly and climbed up to the top.
There are some spectacular views from up there.
On Saturday Robert and Jack drove from Prescott to join us on a ride. It was a pretty fast day of riding.
This was taken on the top of Submarine.
Sunday morning we drove back to Prescott to meet Christina and her crew to ride up Copper Basin Road from Skull Valley. It hurt pretty bad, my legs were shot from the week of riding.
My parents met us back in Prescott to check out our new landscaping and to have one last dinner out before they head home.
I mean, look! You can still see the snow on the ground the next morning!!
Luckily, the snow didn't harm the wildflowers that are starting to bloom. I've been trying to get some good shots, but I'm having a hard time focusing in on what I want with my point and shoot.
Good thing the rest of the week was sunny and 70s.
We had a great week of some new hikes and alot of our normal rides. We hiked around the base of Mescal Mtn and down in Carroll Canyon for the first time. We also checked out a spur off of Mystic.
Most of the week we just rode from where we stayed right over to Bell Rock and rode the trails from there. Llama, Templeton, HT, Mystic, Broken Arrow, Little Horse and back on the new trail.
We also rode up the ridge that overlooks cowpies. Very exposed and scary. I walked alot that day. We made it up to the saddle but we couldn't find the trail down the other side. So we rode back out to Schnebly and climbed up to the top.
There are some spectacular views from up there.
On Saturday Robert and Jack drove from Prescott to join us on a ride. It was a pretty fast day of riding.
This was taken on the top of Submarine.
Sunday morning we drove back to Prescott to meet Christina and her crew to ride up Copper Basin Road from Skull Valley. It hurt pretty bad, my legs were shot from the week of riding.
My parents met us back in Prescott to check out our new landscaping and to have one last dinner out before they head home.
Monday, March 24, 2008
Gardner Canyon (Sonoita), Race 4, March 15
We ended up leaving Friday morning at 9:30am. Made it to the race venue by 2pm. We tried to coordinate a preride with Christina, but it just didn't work out.
Zach and I suited up and started riding the race loop after learning to be cautious out there as the course was not yet well marked. There was a long loop and a short loop. The start was out on fire road 163, a flat start that leads into a short steep climb. From there it was a mile and a half of rolling climbing... into a strong headwind.
After that long, and torturous lead out, we took a sharp left into the first section of singletrack. It was rocky and downhill, a little sketchy, and lead us down to another section of singletrack. Reminded me of a dry version of Knoch Knolls, the low section along the river. Except the trail was scooped out a little more, and crossed the dry, sandy creekbed four or five times. From there we crossed through the grounds of a rustic B&B, then through a forest service gate and on to more single track that crossed a flat low area of the canyon. After that we reached the junction where the long loop took off to the right and the short loop went to the left.
We headed right to check out the long loop. There were four memorable sections of the long loop. The long climb that started out with about a million embedded rocks, the long sketchy, rocky downhill, some more nice singletrack that twisted along the side of a hill, and a nice quick section of technical singletrack. Other than that, it was primarily fireroad. But I have to say, it was challenging fireroad. Kept you on your toes. Think rocky sections of 9 mile, with way more rocks on steeper climbs. Shortly after the technical singletrack, the trail met back up at the junction of the short and long loops. The last portion of the short/long loops was fast and furious. There was one climb back up to the top of the ridge, and then from there it was fast, sometimes rocky fireroad.
After the preride we had to hurry back to Tucson to stay with Tim and Elizabeth's at her parents house. A lovely home in a beautiful area. Tim made the whole group (Zach and I, Elizabeth's parents, and 2 of her dad's college buddies) dinner. There were many bottles of wine opened that night, but Zach and I kept things under control. After dinner we soaked in the hot tub for a little and then headed to bed by 9.
Early up Saturday and back to the venue before 7. Registration wasn't quite set up so we helped them unpack for a little. Man, that hour before the race always flies by. I suited up and headed out backwards onto the course. Zach and I unknowingly bypassed the end of the lap the day before, so I did my warm up out that way.
Race time rolled around and I did my normal last minute sneak up to the line on the left. Christina was on the right so she called me over there. Definitely a better starting point than where I was. The night before we had agreed to work together on that long climbing lead out. The gun went off and things looked good. 2 women in the 40 and up group took off fast out of the start. I was thinking we could tuck in behind them. But after the sharp right that put us out on the fireroad, we somehow ended up out in front. Crap, I didn't want to be the sacrificial lamb. Christina and I were riding side by side...not good...she gestured me ahead.
I pushed forward and hoped for the best. We all rolled along until we hit the first climb. I think that's when the group whittled down. I decided it would probably be best if I held back a little instead of pushing full force and then dying out right before the single track. Turns out it was the right decision, because as we approached that sharp left into that first off road section, it was just me and Spring. I gave it one last push and was all alone on that first decent.
From there I tried to focus on riding my own race and really concentrated on not making any mistakes. But as hard as I tried, I didn't make it up the start of the big bouldery long climb, I almost bit but recovered at the last second on the long sketchy downhill, and almost bit it on the one technical single track section section. So no major falls, but a few fumbles that slowed me down a little. I finished in first place, about a minute and a half before Spring. Christina came in third. She said she left her legs in Glendale. Bummer, but still a good finish.
Zach ended the day with a seventh place finish. Not what he was hoping for, but he wasn't feeling good that day.
It was a fun race and a great weekend. I just wish I would have taken my camera on the preride.
Zach at the line
Tim finishing up
Zach and I suited up and started riding the race loop after learning to be cautious out there as the course was not yet well marked. There was a long loop and a short loop. The start was out on fire road 163, a flat start that leads into a short steep climb. From there it was a mile and a half of rolling climbing... into a strong headwind.
After that long, and torturous lead out, we took a sharp left into the first section of singletrack. It was rocky and downhill, a little sketchy, and lead us down to another section of singletrack. Reminded me of a dry version of Knoch Knolls, the low section along the river. Except the trail was scooped out a little more, and crossed the dry, sandy creekbed four or five times. From there we crossed through the grounds of a rustic B&B, then through a forest service gate and on to more single track that crossed a flat low area of the canyon. After that we reached the junction where the long loop took off to the right and the short loop went to the left.
We headed right to check out the long loop. There were four memorable sections of the long loop. The long climb that started out with about a million embedded rocks, the long sketchy, rocky downhill, some more nice singletrack that twisted along the side of a hill, and a nice quick section of technical singletrack. Other than that, it was primarily fireroad. But I have to say, it was challenging fireroad. Kept you on your toes. Think rocky sections of 9 mile, with way more rocks on steeper climbs. Shortly after the technical singletrack, the trail met back up at the junction of the short and long loops. The last portion of the short/long loops was fast and furious. There was one climb back up to the top of the ridge, and then from there it was fast, sometimes rocky fireroad.
After the preride we had to hurry back to Tucson to stay with Tim and Elizabeth's at her parents house. A lovely home in a beautiful area. Tim made the whole group (Zach and I, Elizabeth's parents, and 2 of her dad's college buddies) dinner. There were many bottles of wine opened that night, but Zach and I kept things under control. After dinner we soaked in the hot tub for a little and then headed to bed by 9.
Early up Saturday and back to the venue before 7. Registration wasn't quite set up so we helped them unpack for a little. Man, that hour before the race always flies by. I suited up and headed out backwards onto the course. Zach and I unknowingly bypassed the end of the lap the day before, so I did my warm up out that way.
Race time rolled around and I did my normal last minute sneak up to the line on the left. Christina was on the right so she called me over there. Definitely a better starting point than where I was. The night before we had agreed to work together on that long climbing lead out. The gun went off and things looked good. 2 women in the 40 and up group took off fast out of the start. I was thinking we could tuck in behind them. But after the sharp right that put us out on the fireroad, we somehow ended up out in front. Crap, I didn't want to be the sacrificial lamb. Christina and I were riding side by side...not good...she gestured me ahead.
I pushed forward and hoped for the best. We all rolled along until we hit the first climb. I think that's when the group whittled down. I decided it would probably be best if I held back a little instead of pushing full force and then dying out right before the single track. Turns out it was the right decision, because as we approached that sharp left into that first off road section, it was just me and Spring. I gave it one last push and was all alone on that first decent.
From there I tried to focus on riding my own race and really concentrated on not making any mistakes. But as hard as I tried, I didn't make it up the start of the big bouldery long climb, I almost bit but recovered at the last second on the long sketchy downhill, and almost bit it on the one technical single track section section. So no major falls, but a few fumbles that slowed me down a little. I finished in first place, about a minute and a half before Spring. Christina came in third. She said she left her legs in Glendale. Bummer, but still a good finish.
Zach ended the day with a seventh place finish. Not what he was hoping for, but he wasn't feeling good that day.
It was a fun race and a great weekend. I just wish I would have taken my camera on the preride.
Zach at the line
Tim finishing up
Friday, March 21, 2008
Better
Good people. A group of riders who had rented bikes from the Bike and Bean found my camera on the trail and left it at the shop.
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Oh Shoot
I lost my camera today. I've ridden hundreds of miles with that case velcroed to my camel back with no issue. Today it fell off. :(
It's somewhere lost in Sedona along with the 6 or 7 bucks I had in the case also. Damn.
It's somewhere lost in Sedona along with the 6 or 7 bucks I had in the case also. Damn.
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Sonoita
Driving down past Tucson to the Gardner Canyon race at Sonoita. Leaving Friday morning, preriding, staying with Tim and Elizabeth at her parents in Tuc-sun Friday night, then driving back to Sonoita Saturday morning. Sometime this weekend we will head back to Sedona to hang with my parents for our spring break week.
Here's a few pictures from the neighborhood loop Zach and I have been doing while the trails have been drying off.
Here's a few pictures from the neighborhood loop Zach and I have been doing while the trails have been drying off.
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
1984
Zach and I were invited to Brady's wife's birthday party on Sunday night. We had a good time. Brady grilled the most amazing salmon I've had in a long time. Yummy.
I almost missed the highlight of the evening. I don't know Susan (Brady's wife) too well, so I stayed in the kitchen and chatted for most of the night, while Zach and another group hung out in the TV room and watched mt bike DVDs.
I eventually made in there to watch and hang out. Turns out Billy (a long time mt biker transplant from Souther California) brought a bunch of old biking magazines....Mt Bike Action, Fat Tire Flyer and a few others. It was pretty cool flipping through, seeing some names of riders that I recognized. Seeing old advertisements for bike components that don't exist anymore.
I happened to pick up a Fat Tire Flyer from the year 1984. I read some of the letters to the editor, looked at the advertisements, read some of the race results. Kinda flipped back and forth.
Then the title "Chequamegon 40 Race Results" caught my eye. It is cool to read through race results but it has so much more meaning when the results are for a race you have competed in yourself.
It was the 2nd Annual Cheq 40 and there were 88 riders. Finishing seventh was none other than Wisconsin's very own....
I almost missed the highlight of the evening. I don't know Susan (Brady's wife) too well, so I stayed in the kitchen and chatted for most of the night, while Zach and another group hung out in the TV room and watched mt bike DVDs.
I eventually made in there to watch and hang out. Turns out Billy (a long time mt biker transplant from Souther California) brought a bunch of old biking magazines....Mt Bike Action, Fat Tire Flyer and a few others. It was pretty cool flipping through, seeing some names of riders that I recognized. Seeing old advertisements for bike components that don't exist anymore.
I happened to pick up a Fat Tire Flyer from the year 1984. I read some of the letters to the editor, looked at the advertisements, read some of the race results. Kinda flipped back and forth.
Then the title "Chequamegon 40 Race Results" caught my eye. It is cool to read through race results but it has so much more meaning when the results are for a race you have competed in yourself.
It was the 2nd Annual Cheq 40 and there were 88 riders. Finishing seventh was none other than Wisconsin's very own....
Saturday, March 8, 2008
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Black Canyon Trail
Christina and I hung out until about 9pm at the race venue Sat night after the race with a few of her teammates. We had a blast. I spent the night at her house (Zach drove to Mesa to hang out with some friends in from IL) that night. We got to her place, showered and passed out. We were both zonked from the race and the sun and the drinks. For breakfast on Sunday, she made the best fried eggs that I have had in a really long time. Fantastic.
Shortly after breakfast her friend Robert arrived. We were all headed up to the Black Canyon Trail off of I17. It's a multi-use singletrack trail that will eventually stretch from Carefree Hwy all the way up to Hwy 69 in Dewey (which is just east of us); that's 62 miles of singletrack!.
We started at the Table Mesa trailhead and headed north. Took the east side of the loop on the way out, and the west side on the way back. We were beat from the race on Saturday, so we only did about 18 miles.
It was awesome!! The trail winds up the Bradshaw Mts so much of the trail is....I wouldn't say ledgy is the right word, but you've got hill going up on one side and hill going down the other side of the trail. Not sure what the technical term is for that. Beautiful scenery along the way.
The whole area is multiuse. There are separate 4x4 trails, miles and miles of well used trails. There are shooting ranges. The one downside to the singletrack trail is that there are a few rednecks that venture off of the legal shooting areas and end up too close to the trail.
Other than that, it is awesome.
Here's a few pictures.
Somewhere near the beginning of our ride
We just crossed the Agua Fria. You can see the rednecks and their truck through the trees if you look close.
Climbing up one short stretch of gravel road.
Desert poppies
Christina checking out the trail we just rode
Ahhh, thel view
Shoes off!
Shortly after breakfast her friend Robert arrived. We were all headed up to the Black Canyon Trail off of I17. It's a multi-use singletrack trail that will eventually stretch from Carefree Hwy all the way up to Hwy 69 in Dewey (which is just east of us); that's 62 miles of singletrack!.
We started at the Table Mesa trailhead and headed north. Took the east side of the loop on the way out, and the west side on the way back. We were beat from the race on Saturday, so we only did about 18 miles.
It was awesome!! The trail winds up the Bradshaw Mts so much of the trail is....I wouldn't say ledgy is the right word, but you've got hill going up on one side and hill going down the other side of the trail. Not sure what the technical term is for that. Beautiful scenery along the way.
The whole area is multiuse. There are separate 4x4 trails, miles and miles of well used trails. There are shooting ranges. The one downside to the singletrack trail is that there are a few rednecks that venture off of the legal shooting areas and end up too close to the trail.
Other than that, it is awesome.
Here's a few pictures.
Somewhere near the beginning of our ride
We just crossed the Agua Fria. You can see the rednecks and their truck through the trees if you look close.
Climbing up one short stretch of gravel road.
Desert poppies
Christina checking out the trail we just rode
Ahhh, thel view
Shoes off!
And you thought it was cold
I just got caught up on Alaska Jill's epic journey.
If you have the time it is definitely worth the read. She is an awesome writer and photographer and has a little drive and determination to go with it.
If you have the time it is definitely worth the read. She is an awesome writer and photographer and has a little drive and determination to go with it.
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Estrella Hedgehog Hustle, Race 3, March 1
Saturday the 23rd, Zach, Robert, and I and a few other Prescott people drove down to Phoenix to preride the Estrella race course. I was finishing up the antibiotics and Allegra I was taking to rid my sinuses of its horrible infection. I blame the Allegra on the way I felt. I woke up with a headache and just felt like crap the whole drive down. It didn't get any better once we started riding. I was pegged from the start; felt like I had no energy the whole day.
We started out on the tech loop, then did two long loops. I pinch flatted on the first long loop, and told Christina to ride on. I felt like crap and didn't want to hold her back. The second long loop was complete torture. Robert and I called it quits after that; Zach and Christina did an additional tech loop to finish their day at 30 miles! The bright side for me that day was of course the group we rode with, the weather, and the post ride stop at Chipotle.
Estrella is fun, but brutal. We decided the best descriptive word for it is relentless. The bumpy rocks and loose gravel never end on the tech loop. The long loop has some tame sections where you can gain composure, but the semi technical section at the end followed by the long gradual climb up get you too.
So needless to say, I did not have a warm fuzzy feeling going into the race this past Saturday.
Zach and I drove down Friday night and stayed with Christina, which was so awesome (we would have had to leave Prescott at like 4am). We didn't get there until after 8 and ended up watching 24 Solo. By the time we went to bed we were all beat.
Saturday we get to Estrella before 7 and the strangest thing happened. We were being swarmed by mosquitos!!!!!!!!! WHAT THE HECK!! Everything I've heard is that Arizona doesn't have any insects, especially mosquitos! After spraying on some repellant, we got registered and I had to start getting ready. I spotted an Alterra kit through the crowd at one point. Turns out it was Anna Fink. It was her first race she had done in a while so she decided to race sport. It's always fun to catch up with someone from the Midwest.
I snuck up to the line at the last minute and fit in on the left again. Christina was a few rows deep so she made her way up too. The gun went off and Jennifer Sica (the only pro) and Christina were out like lightening off the front. I hung on behind Christina with Heidi right on my tail. She passed me at one point; she's fast but she's a roadie. After riding behind her for a few minutes it became clear. She wasn't aggressive enough for me on the technical sections, so I passed her back the first chance I had. Christina was pulling away. The expert women's race was a tech loop, a long loop, and a tech loop. The pro women's course was long, tech, long, so Jennifer had already turned off onto the long loop; it was just Christina and I out front by ourselves.
Christina was holding a great pace, and has better handling skills than me so I stuck behind her for most of the first lap. On one of the last climbs at the end of the lap though she took a drink or ate a few blocks so I passed her on the hill. I was out front for the long loop...felt really good at that point. On one of the last rolling downhills towards the end of the lap, I felt unusually out of control. I actually almost bit it hard but thankfully recovered. Was fatigue setting in? I kept looking down at my wheels to see if I had a flat but they looked okay. I grabbed my last water bottle from Zach and headed out for my last tech loop.
Unfortunately, my handling problems did not improve. I was all over the trail. Couldn't hold a line, descending or climbing. I wish I would have stopped sooner. It was totally messing with my mind. Finally, towards the end of the lap, after you climb up and over and start heading down the technical section, I stopped to find out what was wrong. Sure enough, a front flat. I tried to stay calm and think clearly. I was not changing a flat this late in the race, so I decided to try and fill it w/o changing the tube. After my first attempt at the CO2 inflater, Christina flew right by. She asked if I was okay and if I had everything I needed. I said yes, and thanks and now knew how the race was going to end. There was no way I'd be able to catch her. I finally got some air in and started to wonder if I had ever screwed my valve back down after filling before the race. What the heck! Did I have a slow flat from a cactus needle or was it my own fault! THAT'S IT! I AM NOT GETTING MY BIKE READY BEFORE ANY RACE EVER AGAIN! Actually, I'm not even sure if a tire will go flat if you don't close the valve, but that's all I could think.
I got back on my bike and still had a hard time getting a good rhythm going. Riding almost that entire lap out of control left me with no confidence at all! I kept riding and just hoped to finish in second. I make it over the crest and head down the few rolling hills to the last long gradual section back to the parking lot and what do I see? Christina heading toward the finish. She was going unusually slow. I might actually have a chance here. So I pedaled hard and caught her at the last sharp right turn that was only 50 feet maybe from the finish line. We both took it easy on the gravel turn and kicked it in to cross the timing mats first. It was for sure a photo finish.
We had a good laugh standing there wondering who took the race. Turns out Christina rode in on her rear rim, which explains her speed at the end. She punctured her tire good enough on a rock in the last mile that Stan's couldn't patch it. She said a win for her would be bittersweet, since I had flatted. I certainly felt the same way. Shortly after that Heidi and Spring finished up and we all chatted for a while. Spring is from Tucson and had just raced 24 hrs of Old Pueblo with Susan Haywood. She'd be a pretty strong teammate, huh? Yeah, they took the win.
It took a while for our results to get posted, I ended up crossing ahead by three tenths of a second.
Christina and I both had handoffs to do so we huddled up under her teams ez up in the feed zone with Jeff and Elizabeth. Zach was doing long tech long. It should be no problem for him since had ridden more than that the previous weekend. It's so hard to tell at these races what place he is in. They don't use backtags and there is no categorization of the number plates. So I have no clue until the results are posted. He finished the 
race without changing any flats but had one minor fall that scraped his knee a little. He ended up with a 4th place finish! Tim finished in 7th and Jeff in 23rd. Jeff had a tumble over the handlebars and skinned his thigh pretty good.
Checking out the bikes last night, Zach had slow leaks in both tires. And it turns out I did have a slow leak in my front tire. Whew, I thought I was going to have to hang up my mechanic apron. Plus, I'm not the sofaking I thought.
Elizabeth and Jeff talking traveling
view of the race venue with Phoenix Int'l Raceway in the distance.
We started out on the tech loop, then did two long loops. I pinch flatted on the first long loop, and told Christina to ride on. I felt like crap and didn't want to hold her back. The second long loop was complete torture. Robert and I called it quits after that; Zach and Christina did an additional tech loop to finish their day at 30 miles! The bright side for me that day was of course the group we rode with, the weather, and the post ride stop at Chipotle.
Estrella is fun, but brutal. We decided the best descriptive word for it is relentless. The bumpy rocks and loose gravel never end on the tech loop. The long loop has some tame sections where you can gain composure, but the semi technical section at the end followed by the long gradual climb up get you too.
So needless to say, I did not have a warm fuzzy feeling going into the race this past Saturday.
Zach and I drove down Friday night and stayed with Christina, which was so awesome (we would have had to leave Prescott at like 4am). We didn't get there until after 8 and ended up watching 24 Solo. By the time we went to bed we were all beat.
Saturday we get to Estrella before 7 and the strangest thing happened. We were being swarmed by mosquitos!!!!!!!!! WHAT THE HECK!! Everything I've heard is that Arizona doesn't have any insects, especially mosquitos! After spraying on some repellant, we got registered and I had to start getting ready. I spotted an Alterra kit through the crowd at one point. Turns out it was Anna Fink. It was her first race she had done in a while so she decided to race sport. It's always fun to catch up with someone from the Midwest.
I snuck up to the line at the last minute and fit in on the left again. Christina was a few rows deep so she made her way up too. The gun went off and Jennifer Sica (the only pro) and Christina were out like lightening off the front. I hung on behind Christina with Heidi right on my tail. She passed me at one point; she's fast but she's a roadie. After riding behind her for a few minutes it became clear. She wasn't aggressive enough for me on the technical sections, so I passed her back the first chance I had. Christina was pulling away. The expert women's race was a tech loop, a long loop, and a tech loop. The pro women's course was long, tech, long, so Jennifer had already turned off onto the long loop; it was just Christina and I out front by ourselves.
Christina was holding a great pace, and has better handling skills than me so I stuck behind her for most of the first lap. On one of the last climbs at the end of the lap though she took a drink or ate a few blocks so I passed her on the hill. I was out front for the long loop...felt really good at that point. On one of the last rolling downhills towards the end of the lap, I felt unusually out of control. I actually almost bit it hard but thankfully recovered. Was fatigue setting in? I kept looking down at my wheels to see if I had a flat but they looked okay. I grabbed my last water bottle from Zach and headed out for my last tech loop.
Unfortunately, my handling problems did not improve. I was all over the trail. Couldn't hold a line, descending or climbing. I wish I would have stopped sooner. It was totally messing with my mind. Finally, towards the end of the lap, after you climb up and over and start heading down the technical section, I stopped to find out what was wrong. Sure enough, a front flat. I tried to stay calm and think clearly. I was not changing a flat this late in the race, so I decided to try and fill it w/o changing the tube. After my first attempt at the CO2 inflater, Christina flew right by. She asked if I was okay and if I had everything I needed. I said yes, and thanks and now knew how the race was going to end. There was no way I'd be able to catch her. I finally got some air in and started to wonder if I had ever screwed my valve back down after filling before the race. What the heck! Did I have a slow flat from a cactus needle or was it my own fault! THAT'S IT! I AM NOT GETTING MY BIKE READY BEFORE ANY RACE EVER AGAIN! Actually, I'm not even sure if a tire will go flat if you don't close the valve, but that's all I could think.
I got back on my bike and still had a hard time getting a good rhythm going. Riding almost that entire lap out of control left me with no confidence at all! I kept riding and just hoped to finish in second. I make it over the crest and head down the few rolling hills to the last long gradual section back to the parking lot and what do I see? Christina heading toward the finish. She was going unusually slow. I might actually have a chance here. So I pedaled hard and caught her at the last sharp right turn that was only 50 feet maybe from the finish line. We both took it easy on the gravel turn and kicked it in to cross the timing mats first. It was for sure a photo finish.
We had a good laugh standing there wondering who took the race. Turns out Christina rode in on her rear rim, which explains her speed at the end. She punctured her tire good enough on a rock in the last mile that Stan's couldn't patch it. She said a win for her would be bittersweet, since I had flatted. I certainly felt the same way. Shortly after that Heidi and Spring finished up and we all chatted for a while. Spring is from Tucson and had just raced 24 hrs of Old Pueblo with Susan Haywood. She'd be a pretty strong teammate, huh? Yeah, they took the win.
It took a while for our results to get posted, I ended up crossing ahead by three tenths of a second.
Christina and I both had handoffs to do so we huddled up under her teams ez up in the feed zone with Jeff and Elizabeth. Zach was doing long tech long. It should be no problem for him since had ridden more than that the previous weekend. It's so hard to tell at these races what place he is in. They don't use backtags and there is no categorization of the number plates. So I have no clue until the results are posted. He finished the 
race without changing any flats but had one minor fall that scraped his knee a little. He ended up with a 4th place finish! Tim finished in 7th and Jeff in 23rd. Jeff had a tumble over the handlebars and skinned his thigh pretty good. Checking out the bikes last night, Zach had slow leaks in both tires. And it turns out I did have a slow leak in my front tire. Whew, I thought I was going to have to hang up my mechanic apron. Plus, I'm not the sofaking I thought.
Elizabeth and Jeff talking traveling
view of the race venue with Phoenix Int'l Raceway in the distance.
Sunday, March 2, 2008
SofaKing
I am the original sofa king.
We had a great weekend, more later. Completely wiped out.
Thanks to Christina for being a great host.
We had a great weekend, more later. Completely wiped out.
Thanks to Christina for being a great host.
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